1889

[Image - Cover page with painted illustration: images of flowers, birds-eye view of seed farm and text.]

Iowa Seeds Are the best. 1889

[Captions near illustrations of different flowers.]

Bouquet Collection

Gladiolus

Apios Tuberosa 3 for 25 cts.

Passion Vines 20 cts

Iowa Seed Co. Des Moines Iowa.

Partial view of Seed Farm No 1 Residence of H. C. Windsor 2 & 3 tenement houses, 586 barns, 8 warehouses.

Coon River

C.R.I & P.R.R.

Walnut Creek

Orcutt Lithographing Co Chicago

[top third of page] Choice Vegetables Introduced and sold by The Iowa Seed Company

[Image - Color illustration, Ground Cherry bush.] [Caption] Iowa Seed Cos Improved Ground Cherry

[Image - Color illustration, Vine Peach. Overprint text-Vine Peach.] Packet 10 cts.

[Image - Color llustration, Ground Cherry. Overprint text-Improved Ground Cherry.] 10 cts. per packet

[Image - Color illustration, Ear of popcorn. Overprint text-Page's New Striped Rice Pop Corn.] 10 cts. per packet

[middle third of page] Rich, Delicious and Handsome 1889 Novelty

[Images - Color llustrations of jars of canned items.] Preserves...Jelly... Canned Mock Citron Sweet Pickles

Garden Lemon 15 cts. per packet [Image - Color illustration, Lemon bush/vine.]

[bottom third of page] [Images - Color illustrations, beet, white radish.] 50 Cents for the above 6 Novelties Market Gardeners Beet Perpetual White Summer Radish

[Image: Decorative banner with text-Novelties for 1889.] Novelties for 1889

This list contains "the cream" of all the novelties for this season. As the introducers of so many varieties of sterling merit, which are now listed by many of the most prominent houses in the United States, we have only to say that we have exercised our usual strict care to offer only those varieties which have proven to be decided improvements on the older kinds. Being in correspondence with the leading seedsmen, seed growers and horticulturists in this country and Europe, we receive samples of varieties claimed to be new from all over the world, and test their merits on our own grounds. We had about 600 varieties of seeds and potatoes in our test this year. Our Perfect White Spine Cucumber, Early Des Moines Sweet Corn, Market Gardener's Beet, Table Guernsey Parsnip, Page's Striped Rice Pop Corn, Improved Ground Cherry, Vine Peach, Bonanza Potatoes and Profit Corn, have become standard varieties with all who have once grown them. If you have not grown them, don't fail to try them this year, and it will pay you to try any or all of the varieties named in this list.

[Image: Drawing/Scratchboard Illustration, Beet. Overprinted text-Market Gardeners' Beet.]

Iowa Seed Co.'s New Market Gardener's Beet.

This is undoubtedly one of the best novelties ever introduced, and it has received much praise from our customers during the past year, as well as leading eastern horticulturists. Its shape and color are well illustrated on the cover of this catalogue, and are all that can be desired. Ten years ago in a field of Henderson's Pineapple Beet, grown on our seed farm in Madison county, we discovered some differing in shape from that valuable old variety. We have each year kept up this constant selection, keeping in mind this ideal shape, color and size, until this year we think we have as near perfection as can be attained. As will be noticed, it is very symmetrical, with small tap root and but few fibrous roots. Unusually small tops. At the age of the Egyptian it is larger, while it continues to grow until late in the fall, attaining a large size and making a good selling and eating beet for winter. By the first of October they measure eight inches in diameter and average six pounds each in weight. One sowing only is necessary to produce early beets for market and main crop for winter use, which is not the case with any other variety.

Color outside is deep blood red; inside layers of blood-red and light red alternately. When cooked they are a beautiful dark red throughout, fine grained and unsurpassed in quality.

Summing it all up, we find in it the Best Beet for Early Market, the Best Beet for Winter Use, and owing to the small tops permitting them to be grown close together, and the peculiar shape of the bulb, it is the Most Profitable Beet for the Market Gardener and for the family garden of any we know of.

We want each one of our thousands of customers throughout this country to give this Beet a trial, and we know they will find we have not given it too high praise. Per pkt. 10 cts.; oz. 25 cts.; 1/4 lb. 75 cts.

Greenfield, Iowa, Aug. 28, '88: - I shall sow only your New Market Gardener's Beet after this; it is as early as the earliest and makes the best late beets from the same sowing. Its shape and quality are perfect. M. Kurtzweil, Market Gardener.

West Windham, N. H., Oct. 18, '88: - Your Market Gardener's Beets were extra nice. They grew well and were the largest of my garden beets with nice, well formed bulbs. John D. K. Marshall.

2 ... Specialties and Novelties for 1889

Vine Peach

This splendid novelty which we introduced in 1886, was first called to our attention by one of our customers in Minnesota. The vine on which they are borne is somewhat similar to the musk melon vine, and requires the same cultivation.

The fruit is about the size of a large peach, oval-shaped and of a bright orange yellow color somewhat russeted. When it first ripens it is quite hard and has very little flavor, but soon they become mellow and sweet, and have a rich flavor. When ripe the fruit falls from the vine, the flesh is very firm with a small cavity in the center, and when peeled and the seeds taken out they much resemble peaches. For sweet pickles, pies or preserving they are superb. Receipts for preparing them in various manners for the table will be sent with each order. In the west and northwest where fruit is scarce, we feel certain that they will quickly become popular, as they are easily cultivated, wonderfully prolific and can be used in every way in which you would use a peach, except that they are not usually liked raw, although some consider them excellent simply sliced with a little sugar on. Market gardeners are already having considerable call for them from their customers. Try them and we know you will be pleased. Per pkt. 10 cts.; oz. 30 cts.

[Image: Text, Iowa Seed Co.'s New, over decorative ribbon-like banner with text - Vine Peach. Drawing/Scratchboard Illustration, plate of vine peaches. Caption-From a photograph.]

London, Ont., Oct. 26, '88:-"We tested the Vine Peach sent us last spring, and were well pleased with it and shall advertise it the coming season. Please send us ten pounds of the seed." John S. Pearce & CO., Seedsmen.

[Image: Drawing/Scratchboard Illustration, Drumhead cabbage, Williams.]

New Short Stem Drumhead Cabbage

The Finest Strain of Late Drumhead In Cultivation.

This improved variety for [far] surpasses the old strain of Large Late Drumhead Cabbage, ripening earlier, with very short stock or stem, forming larger and thicker heads, of fine quality and the best of keepers. Owing to continued selection for several years past, this variety is remarkable for reliability of heading, everyone who plants it can expect at least ninety-eight large solid heads from every one hundred plants. It is almost all head, and always sure to head. Per pkt. 10 cts.; oz. 20 cts.; 1/4 lb. 65 cts.; lb. $2.75, postpaid.

Iowa Seed Company, Des Moines, Iowa. ... 3

[Image: Drawing/Scratchboard Illustration, ground cherry]

Iowa Seed Co.'s Improved Ground Cherry. Another year only adds to the popularity of this already very popular little fruit which we introduced to our customers in 1887, and it is now listed in the catalogues of the leading seedsmen of the country to whom we supply seed. It is a great improvement on the wild Ground Cherry. They grow well on most any dry soil, are easier raised than the tomato, and are prolific bearers, and oh! such luscious fruit. For sauce they are excellent, and for pies nothing can equal them in flavor and taste. They are delicious as preserves, and when dried in sugar are much better than raisins for cake or puddings and they will keep, if put in a cool place in the shuck, nearly all winter. Cooking directions accompany each packet. No one after raising them once will ever make a garden again without devoting a small portion at least to the Ground Cherry. A leading Market Gardener writes us on Aug. 28, 1888:-"Your Improved Ground Cherry is certainly an improvement on the old Garden Ground Cherry. I have one-fourth acre of them, but have not enough to supply the demand." Gardeners here market them in quart fruit boxes, and they are sold by leading fruit dealers here. Per pkt. 10 cts.; 1/2 oz. 30 cts.; oz. 50 cts.

New "Dignity" Mangel. No crop pays the farmer or stock raiser better than Mangels. The Dignity stands head and shoulders above all others; unequalled for yielding and feeding qualities. Grows to a very large size, weighing thirty to fifty pounds, and will yield forty-five tons per acre with good cultivation.

If you want large crops of large Mangels of good quality, don't fail to try the Dignity. By express 5 lbs. for $2.00; by mail per lb. 60 cts.; 1/4 lb. 20 cts.; oz. 10 cts.; pkt. 5 cts.

[Image: Drawing/Scratchboard Illustration, Mangel. Caption-New Dignity Mangel.]

Page's New Striped Rice Pop Corn.

This splendid novelty, which is the result of a cross between the best White and Red varieties of Rice Pop Corn, we have been at work improving for several years, until now we have undoubtedly the best, handsomest and most attractive variety of Pop Corn in existence. We offered it to our customers in 1887, and it has proved to be an acquisition with which all are pleased. "Beautiful." "Splendid." "It takes the cake," is what they say of it. The color is a clear translucent white, and each kernel is beautifully striped with bright crimson, as shown in our illustration on the cover of this catalogue. The ears are of good size and well filled out; kernels are long and pointed, resembling rice.

It ripens earlier than any other variety with which we are acquainted; is unsurpassed in productiveness, extremely tender when popped, bursting out very large, white as snow, and of finest quality. All should try it. Per pkt. 10 cts.; pt. 35 cts.; qt. 65 cts.; all by mail prepaid.

Copper King Onion. Undoubtedly the largest variety in existence, having been grown to the enormous weight of five pounds and six ounces, and notwithstanding their large size they retain their perfect shape and fine quality and do not become ungainly monstrosities. To obtain some idea of how large this really is, just weigh the largest onion you can obtain and compare weights, or weigh out five pounds and six ounces of common onions and imagine them all in one. They are of a beautiful copper color; flesh pure white, fine grained and mild. Per pkt. 10 cts.; oz. 50 cts.